If anyone has had bad experiences with bio-spira cycling (which isn't so much cycling as adding the proper bacteria right away, which is why you have to add the fish in the number you intend to keep them in, because if you don't add the fish, all the bacteria will die, because like any completely cycled tank, the bacteria will die if not fed enough), I would like to hear them. One of the reasons I thought the bio-spira would be good, is becuase I didn't want to cycle a tank with $6 ea. Cories. Bio-spira seemed to be a good all around solution, since I'm going to be gone the 10 more days than I was planning to, it seemed like this way, I'd still be able to have the tank happy on the original schedule.
I should have done this as an edit. Is there anyway I can delete this post and add it as an edit to my previous post? I was just thinking different train of thought. Also, I intend to watch the fish/water and if necessary change 20% of the water daily, if something goes wrong with this method (I don't know how often it happens, but if for some reason the bacteria.
I was originally going to do the 2 a week, fish addition, w/ mature gravel method. Just as a safety net, even w/ the bio-spira and because I don't want just genetically engineered or isolated bacteria in my tank(which actually if the bio-spira works), it'll still end up being the bio-spira's in the tank, because the whichever colony has more cells in the bacteria world will make it impossible for the other kind to live.
It is normal to have a small (<2 ppm) amount of ammonia or nitrate during the first few days after set-up. These concentrations are not harmful and will quickly drop to zero with proper use of BIO-Spira.
I guess that means it's a two-day cycle, with all your fish, so I should keep a vigilant eye on the aquarium. Although, because the aquarium will be where I am all the time and I love fish, I can't imagine not watching them a lot. My tank won't be a neglected one. People w/ super green water scare me, even if algae is something us humans like less than the fish.
Mine's going to be a twice a week, water-changed, once a week scrubbied, fish fed once or twice a day, only what they'll eat, the rest of the food removed or not fed to them, aquarium. Proper filter changes, etc. I dunno if the fish want me around a lot, but let me put it this way---I don't watch tv and I don't have cable. Even when I have tv, which I won't be getting anytime soon, I watch maybe a few hours a week. This means, the little signs, like behavioral changes, clamped fins, etc, will not get past me. The only things that might be in trouble is plants, while I've no problem giving them plenty of light and even getting a CO2 system, I've no interest in getting them specific substrates and bottles of chemicals I have to add to my tank(that kind of stuff seems like it has the potential to mess with my fish). I'm getting only the plants listed as put it in and forget it types, mainly, but if I see the plants doing badly, I want them for the fish, so I know I'll do whatever is necessary in the long run to keep them healthy, too.
I also neglected to mention, I want to add bacteria housing (like bio~max) to the filter I'm getting and if I can't, then I'm definitely getting the hagen aquaclear. I'd get a penguin, but I've heard stories of non-spinning bio-wheels, etc, etc and they cost too much(unless I want to wait 9-10 days to get shipped one) I've already been waiting years since last fish, because of various life factors, half a year, more recently, because even though they allow a 10 gal tank in the dorms, it's just not practical to move a fish 8 hours by car away every 10 weeks, when you're kicked out of them. From the time I decided to get a tank, because I can aford it, w/o a doubt, I've been waiting a month. It wasn't so bad at first, because I was so busy getting myself acclimated to my new surroundings, but ever since I've known that soon I'd have a tank, this last week and a half has been driving me crazy, because fish has been the only thing on my mind.
/ All the other cories are $1-3cheaper, which disturbs me. I thought it said $4.48, but it says $5.48, now. I don't know if that means they went up after I asked about it, or if I saw/remembered wrong 
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so it should be ok. just add the fish slowly, and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels. It said a 2ppm ammonia spkie could occur and if it does, I would recommend a water change to get it down to 1ppm. good luck 
bit annoying but they are absolutely worth it. 
